Cost Of Living In Moscow

I love Moscow :: Main

How much you spend in Moscow depends totally on your lifestyle, and despite being recently listed as the 4th most expensive city in the world, you can enjoy a very good standard of living here without spending a fortune, if you know where to shop and how to get around. But if you want to splash out on something special, there's plenty to choose from!

Transport

Getting around in Moscow is very cheap: a ride on the metro is $0.5 and a taxi will charge $2 - $6 for a journey within the city, depending on the distance and your ability to negotiate! For more information about getting around, see our transport in Moscow section.

Sightseeing

You'll have to pay more than Russians to see the sights in Moscow but it's still good value for money - museums and famous sights charge about $3. Moscow has an huge amount of things to see and do to keep you entertained throughout the year. Find out more about sightseeing in Moscow.

Shopping

Electronic equipment and home appliances are widely available in Moscow, so you do
not need to worry about bringing things from home. Some of the best prices are at
Gorbushka market. There is a great choice of clothes shops here now including brands
such as Zara, Mango, Benetton and Mexx, although prices are around 20-30% higher
than in Europe.

Electronic equipment and home appliances are widely available in Moscow, so you do
not need to worry about bringing things from home. Some of the best prices are at Gorbushka market.
There is a great choice of clothes shops here now including brands
such as Zara, Mango, Benetton and Mexx, although prices are around 20-30% higher
than in Europe. Go to our Malls and Department Stores in Moscow section

Groceries

Shopping for food is relatively cheap, particularly if you buy Russian brands
for basics such as flour, oil, butter and juices. Imported and European brands
are everywhere now and there is very little that is impossible to find, although
of course the prices are a lot higher! You can choose from the huge western-style
hypermarkets, upmarket delicatessen stores, hundreds of small traditional Russian
"Produkti" shops or one of the many kiosks still lining the streets. Read our
section about Food in Moscow. See an average shopping basket in Moscow.

Kiosk

Auchan

Yeliseevsky delicatessen

Eating Out

It's not hard to find a fast food outlet in Moscow - there's McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC as well as all the street kiosks selling everything from hotdogs to baked potatoes. A McDonalds hamburger is 15 rubles ($0.5) and a Big Mac costs 45r ($1.50). Going more upmarket, there is an endless choice of cafes and restaurants, offering almost every cuisine imaginable, so the only problem is choosing where to go! Read more about Restaurants in Moscow or see how much it costs to eat out in the city by looking at our restaurant comparison.

Nightlife

If you go partying, you can spend nothing or everything. There is free entry to most of the clubs but drinks can be pricey depending on where you go - be prepared to pay anything up to $10 for a beer or $15 for a gin and tonic. For more information about where to go, see our clubs and bars in Moscow page. Tickets for the ballet, opera and musicals vary in price but you should expect to pay anything between $25 - $100 per seat for a major show. Smaller theatres and performances are of course considerably cheaper than this.
Read more about Theatres in Moscow.